Fatigue Risk Management in Privately Contracted Ambulance Services: A Countermeasures Approach
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Fatigue in the transportation industry is a significant threat to the safety of employees and citizens. Ambulance transportation of the sick and injured is not classified as falling under the transportation industry; however, ambulance transport shares many of the same risks as other transportation modes. Fatigue is associated with impaired critical thinking, reaction time, memory, and each of these negative side effects of fatigue can have a direct impact on positive patient outcomes. This research was designed to explore current fatigue risk management (FRM) mechanisms used among privately contracted 911 ambulance providers in California and what, if any, tools are used to monitor and mitigate fatigue among emergency medical technicians (EMT) and paramedics. The significance of the research contributes to public administration theory utilizing complex systems theory through an examination of the problem of relationships and structure of the feedback mechanisms in fatigue monitoring within privately contracted 911 ambulances. The ability of EMS administrators to regulate risks posed to citizens by fatigued private ambulance EMTs and paramedics is a significant concern. The research on fatigue among privately contracted 911 ambulance EMTs and paramedics, as well as the role of local EMS administrators, is required to make certain assumptions about the broader prehospital emergency medical services population as it applies to fatigue risk management.